EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal confident they can rekindle £92m deal for Thomas Lemar in January

Starsport understands a deal has been agreed in principle with Monaco along with a five-year contract for the France midfielder, worth around £250,000-a-week.

Boss Arsene Wenger has told associates the Lemar deal does not hinge on Alexis Sanchez being sold in the New Year.

Sanchez was set to move to Manchester City last week until Arsenal pulled the plug at the last minute after they fell short of his £60m price tag.

Wenger has not completely given up hope of Sanchez signing a new contract, with his current one running out at the end of the season.

But if he doesn’t, the Gunners may have to accept as little as £30m if City swoop for him again in the next transfer window

Despite being widely reported that Lemar snubbed the Gunners on deadline day, it now appears there were genuine problems in pushing the deal through in time while the 21-year-old was on international duty.

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Monaco star Thomas Lemar was targeted by Arsenal throughout the summer

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Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)

“We had to sell someone”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

France manager Didier Deschamps insisted his players concentrated on their World Cup qualifier that day against the Netherlands in which Lemar scored a wonder goal.